Separator for manifolding material



Oct. 25, 1932. J, SHERMAN 1,884,308

' SEPARATOR FOR MANIFOLDING MATERIAL Filed Sept. 28, 1931 Patented Oct.1932 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE JOHN G. SHERMAN, OI'DAYTON, OHIOSEPABA'IOB FOR IANH'OLDTNG MATERIAL Application fled September 28, 1881.Serial No. 565,590.

This invention relates to typewriters, and

more particularly to means for separating the interleaved strips ofmanifolding material from the record strips preparatory to the sep- 1aration of completed sheets from the supply .strips in the use ofcontinuous series connectedstationery.

The use of one time carbon with continuous series connected stationerywherein the in strips are transversely scored or perforated forseparation at spaced intervals has become quite common. To facilitatethe separation of the manifolding material from the-record sheets afterdetachment from the '1 supply strip, finger tabs are frequently providedupon the carbon material which project beyond the transverse tear lineor division line. Dueto the tenacious surface of the interleaved carbonmaterial, such material after passing about the platen roll of thetypewriter it is inclined to adhere to therecord strip, and by thebinding action incident to twisting motion in tearing off the completedportion of the strip, the finger. tabs are gripped between the recordsheets and are sometimes accidentally torn, thereby defeating theirsubsequent use in separating thedetached sheets.

The present invention pertains to separat- 0 ing fingers mounted uponthe typewriterrand projecting between the strips. of record and transfermaterial as they pass from the typewriter platen roll, with means forrelatively separating such fingers to spread or separate 85 the stripspreparatory to the detaching operr ation.

The object of the invention is to provide a simple and inex ensive meansapplicable to standard typewriters for facilitating the preliminaryseparation of the transfer material from the record stripspreparatory todetachment of the written sheets and thereby preserving intact thefinger grips provided for subsequent separationof the detached 1 sheets.

A further object of the invention is to provide a sim le device whichwill not inter-.

fere with t e normal operation of the typewriter or otherman'ifoldingapparatus, and

' which may be easily and quickly operated.

With the above primary and other incidental objects in view, as willmore fully appear in the specification, the invention consists of thefeatures of construction, the parts and combinationsthereof, and themode of operation, or their equivalents, as hereinafter described andset forth in the claims.

Referring to the accompanying drawing, wherein is shown the preferredbut obviously not necessarily the only form of the embodiment of theinvention, Fig. 1 is a perspective View of a conventional typewriter towhich thelpresent invention has been applied. Fig.

2 is a detail perspective view of the typewriter platen viewed from therear illustrating the relative location of the present separatingfingers. Fig. 3 is a detail perspective view of the separator attachment're moved from the typewriter showing the parts in their normal or idleposition. Fi 4 is a detail view showing the separator ngers' in theiroperative relation. Fig. 5 illustrates a modification.

I Like parts are indicated by similar characters of reference throughoutthe several views.

.Referring to the drawing, 1 is a conventional form of typewriter ofwhich 2 is the platen roll and 3 and 3a indicate superposed strips ofmanifolding material of which the strips 8 are the record strips and thestrips 3a are the interleaved strlps of carbon or to the tabbed marginsof the manifolding strips are a plurality of rock arms 7a, 7 b and 70,each having a laterally extending finger 8 of quite thin material whichprojects intermediate the superposed record and manifolding strips asthe latter passes from the platen roll 2. The rock arm 7a is fixedlsecured to the rock shaft 6. The arm'7c is xedly secured to thesupporting bracket 5. The intermediate arm or arms 7 b are looselyjournaled on the shaft intermediate the arms 7a and 7 c. The severalarms are interconnected with each other for limited relative movementwhereby the arms progressively interengage upon rocking motion of theshaft to effect a fanned or divergent relation wherein the separatingfingers 8 are spaced one from the other thereby relatively separatingthe carbon material from the adjacent record strips to which it mightotherwise ad- .ere.

The fanned relation of the arms may be variously effected by differentforms of interconnection of the arms.

A convenient form of such connection is to provide a slot 8 in eachsucceeding arm in which engages a stud 9 in the precedin arm. The slotpermits a limited indepen ent movement of one arm before the studengages with the end of the slot whereupon the second arm will then movein unison *with the first arm until the end of the slot 8 and stud 9pertaining to the succeeding arms come into engagement, thustransmitting movement to the succeeding arm. The

12 in the rock shaft projects within-register ing portions of thenotches, and as the shaft is rotated the stud engages first with one andthen the other of the notched hubs, moving the first hub and connectedarm a limited distance before engaging the second hub to move the secondarm in unison.

The rocking motion of the shaft 6 to effect such fanned separation ofthe arms 7 is effected by a finger operating lever 13 at the oppositeend of the rock shaft 6 operating against a retracting spring 14interposed between the operating lever 13 and the supporting brackets 5.

. There is also provided upon the rock shaft 6 a further rock arm 15fixedly secured to the shaft and carrying a contact head 16 overhangingthe platen roll 2 and effecting a pressure contact with the manifoldingmaterial upon oscillation of the rock shaft, t6 grip and hold themanifolding material while the written portions of the strips aredetached upon the transverse division lines. The several strips beingheld apart adjacent to the final end of the tear lines at which thefinger tabs are located, and the supply portions be ing clamped by thearm 15, the used portions of the sheets will be detached upon thetransverse tear lines and then around the finger binding or toitsadherence to the record strip which is torn on a straight line withoutthe finger tag deviation. The device therefore is of duo-functionalcharacter serving to fixedly hold the unwritten portion of themanifolding material relative to the platen roll while thefinishedportions are being detached and simultaneously separating thestrips to prevent binding of the finger tab portion by twisting theforms during detachment or adherence thereofto the a jacent recordstrips and so preventing accidental mutilation.

From the above description it will be apparent that there is thusprovided a device of the character described possessing the particularfeatures of advantage before enumerated as desirable, but whichobviously is susceptible of modification in its form, proportions,detail construction and arrangement of parts without departing from theprinciple involved or sacrificing any of its advantages. While in orderto comply with the statute the invention has been described in languagemore or less specific as to structural features, it is to be understoodthat the invention is not limited to the specific features shown, butthat the means and construction herein disclosed comprise the preferredform of several modes of puttingthe invention into effect, and'theinvention is therefore claimed in any of its forms or modificationswithin the legitimate and valid scope of the appended claims;

- Having thus described my invention, I claim:

1. A device for separating superposed strips of fmanifolding materialbeing fed through a writing' machine, compri'smg a Yplurality ofrelatively movable fingers 'proecting intermediate the superposedstrips, and actuating means common to the fingers for moving each fingera limited distance independently of succeeding fingers and by furthermovement thereof moving succeeding fingers in unison therewith.

2. A device for separating superposed strips of manifolding materialbeing fed through a writing machine, including a plurality of relativelymovable fingers pro ect- 1.

ing' intermediate the strips, and adjusting means common to the fingersfor separating the fingers into spaced relation with each other, tothereby separate the strips of manifolding material preparatory todetachment of portions thereof.

3. A device for separating superposed strips of manifolding materialbeing fed through a writin machine, including a pluralityof relativelymovable fingers pro ect i ing intermediate the strips, a clamp memberfor holding the supply portions ofthe strips immovable, actuating meanscommon to the separator fingers and to the clamp member forsimultaneously operating the clamp member into clamping engagement withthe superposed strips and spreading the fingers relative to each otherto separate the'strips beyond the point of engagement of the clampmember preparatory to detachment of used portions thereof. Y

4. A- device for separating superposm strips of manifolding materialbeing fed through a writin machine, including a plueach arm rality ofrelative y movable fingers rojecting' intermediate the strips, means orprogressively spreading the fingers toseparate the strips one fromanother, and a clamp member engageable with the strips beyond theseparated portions thereof as the fingers approach the limit of theirspreading movement to hold the supply portions of the strips preparatoryto detachment of the spread used portions thereof.

5. A device for separating superposed strips of manifolding materialbeing fed through a writing machine, including a plurality of relativelymovable fingers-projecting intermediate the strips, a rock shaft foractuating the'fingers progressively engaging coupling means or actuatingthe fingers in succession by the partial rotation of the rock shaft tospread the fingers and therewith the strips preparatory to detachment ofused portions thereof. l

6. A device for separating su erposed strips of manifolding material ast ey pass through a writing machine, including a plurality of rock arms,fingers carried by the respective arms and projecting between succeedingstrips, lost motion connections be-' tween succeeding arms of theplurality, and means for progressively actuating. the arms,

eing capable of limited initial movement independently of succeedingarms which upon further movement of the precedin arm are moved in unisontherewith.

A device for separating su erposed strips of manifolding material as tey pass through a writing machine, including a plurality of rockarms,fingers carried by the respective arms and projecting betweensucceeding strips, a rock shaft upon which the arms are mounted, andintercoupling means. for progressively oscillating the arms by rotationof the shaft to spread'the fingers and therewith the strips preparatoryto detach-' ment of used portions thereof.

8. A device for separating superposed strips of manifoldingmaterial astheypass through a writing machine, including a pluralit of relativelymovable fingers extending tween the superposed strips, a clamping memberfor holding the supply portions of the strips immovable, and a common.actua'tin means for s )readin the fin rs and El E5 therewith the engagedstrips, and operating the clamping member into engagement wit the stripsreparatory to detachment of used portions of the strips.

9. A device for separating superposed strips of manifolding material asthey pass through a writing machine, including a pluralit of relativelymovable fingers extending etween the superposed strips, and normally inclosely disposed relation, and actuating means common to the pluralityof fin- JOHN Q. SHERMAN.

